The Aquariums of Pyongyang

Review One of the most terrifying memoirs I have ever read. As the first such account to emerge from North Korea, it is destined to become a classic. ― Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking I beseech you to read this account -- Christopher Hitchens Product Description 'I beseech you to read this account' - Christopher Hitchens A magnificent, harrowing testimony to the voiceless victims of North Korea. Kang Chol-Hwan is the first survivor of a North Korean concentration camp to escape the 'hermit kingdom' and tell his story to the world. This memoir reveals the human suffering in his camp, with its forced labour, frequent public executions and near-starvation rations. Kang eventually escaped to South Korea via China to give testimony to the hardships and atrocities that constitute the lives of the thousands of people still detained in the gulags today. Part horror story, part historical document, part memoir, part political tract, this story of one young man's personal suffering finally gives eye-witness proof to this neglected chapter of modern history. Book Description A magnificent, harrowing testimony to the voiceless victims of North Korea. About the Author Kang Chol-hwan lives and works in Seoul, South Korea, where he is a staff writer for the daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo. He is co-author, with Pierre Rigoulet, of The Aquariums of Pyongyang (2006). Pierre Rigoulot is one of the contributing editors to The Black Book of Communism, which has been published in twenty-eight languages. He is co-author, with Kang Chol-Hwan,of The Aquariums of Pyongyang (2006).